For those of you who have wheeled around in a wheelchair to see what it's like, you have no idea what it can be actually like for those of us in an electric wheelchair with no power. Fortunately, our very expensive (up to $30,000) wheelchairs and charging systems are very reliable and require little maintenance. Otherwise, losing power can be hell and even life-threatening.
A true short story
Tuesday, July 26, was the 26th anniversary of the signing of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1979 by President George H. W. Bush. The Houston Center for Independent living held a get together to celebrate the occasion. I decided to go.
Three weeks before, one of the batteries on my Permobil electric wheelchair failed and I ordered new ones paid for by my insurance. The dealer that provided the chair came with batteries and took apart the chair to put them in, but they had the wrong size. A week later I called and was told that it would be two or three weeks before they could get the batteries in. I called Permobil and they gave me a dealer that could get me the batteries the next day for only $888. These are ordinary batteries, but since they are medical, they suddenly become extremely expensive, like the wheelchairs.
When the tech came to put in the batteries he had great difficulty putting the chair back together, but got it running. Unfortunately, there was a small panel a 6 x 3 x 1 inches with wires hanging off it, loose on top of the rear lower housing. The chair worked okay, but when I called several times to get the problem fixed, I couldn't reach anyone. I needed that chair because it's the only one I can drive my van from.
My van hadn't seen rain in months, but it was raining heavily in some places going over to the celebration. About a block away from the place I ran into water over 6 inches deep in the road and plowed my way through quite easily because I could see that it was okay up ahead. There were so many cars there I couldn't find a disabled space and parked way in the back some distance from the building. It was only sprinkling lightly by then, so I made it okay without getting wet. These wheelchairs can't get wet.
I was delayed coming out because I stayed to talk to people and give away some books. When I got out to the van, the ramp wouldn't come down automatically. So I pulled up beside it, grabbed it with my left arm like I always do, drove my wheelchair ahead and pulled it down. I heard a scraping noise and my wheelchair suddenly went dead. It wouldn't move and it looked like it was starting to rain again. I was stuck there with no way out--scary.
Fortunately, a woman was sitting in her car with it running right across from me. When she saw my trouble, she came right to my aid. We disconnected the drive and she tried to push the chair, but it was too heavy. She left and very soon came back with a Metrolift driver. The two of them pushed me into the van but I couldn't operate the function to put my feet up to enter the EZ-lock. The guy fiddled with that small box with wires attached on top of the lower housing. Amazingly, everything started working. I thanked the man, Herbert Gonzalez, profusely, and later called in a commendation for him at Metrolift.
I drove home through heavy rain and arrived about 3:30. I parked carefully in the garage and let myself down from the van ramp backward. When I went to turn left to go up my ramp in the garage to the house, I heard a clicking sound and was dead again! Beh wasn't due to get home until 7 pm, so I just relaxed, determined to wait that long, if necessary. In the 20 minutes or so that I waited, only two cars went by and one UPS van. Over my right shoulder, I could just make out, by her car, the neighbor across the street coming to my aid. Once again, she couldn't push my chair, so, fortunately, she went to get her about 6 foot 4, 300 pound, husband, to give her a hand. They pushed me into the house and transferred me to my old chair. It's good to have good neighbors.
I couldn't get in contact with the company that provided me with the batteries and caused the problem, so I called the owner of my dealership on the off chance that he had returned from out of the country. He came yesterday, and, in about 15 minutes, put the offending panel back under the housing where it belongs and I have now have two operational wheelchairs again. Life is good. When life throws you a curve, it's good to have helpful people and good neighbors around. Otherwise, you could be dead in the water.
I was in a wheelchair, once, when I was pregnant with my second child. I fell and broke my right ankle and I had to do house chores, cook and wash from a wheelchair. It was no fun. Besides that, my backside hurt and felt numb from sitting all day.
This is a great story about you finding yourself in one bad situation after another but perseveres through it all. Ron, you keep the emotions high and the story riveting. It's fascinating how you take it all in stride and keeps getting up.
I never realized the problems, indignities and frustrations a person with disabilities faces on a daily basis until a friend of mine was forced to a wheelchair existence years ago.
I have never taken my gift of good health for granted since.
This is a great story, Ron. Your courage, patience and determination astound me. Through your writing, you make us more aware of the challenges you face every day. You are at pains to praise your neighbors and other helpful people, but the real hero is you.
You thoroughly impress me with all that you accomplish in spite of your limitations. You impress me even more with your super-positive attitude. Thanks for refreshing my appreciation for how good I have it.
What a terrifying experience. I would be so afraid of that happening, I'd probably have stayed home. You are very brave. I know how you must have felt. I once got trapped under a kitchen counter that I purchased. I was trying to load it into my van and it slid back on me. There I was stuck in the parking lot with this heavy counter top on me. I couldn't get out from under it. Luckily some men came, not to rob me, but to help. There really are some good people in this country.
I was sorry to read about the problems you had on July 26th. Most likely those of us who aren't disabled can't really imagine how courageous people such as yourself are in dealing with the extra burdens fate has dealt you. Thus I congratulate the positive attitude you take in regard to, it seems, not only your disabilit, but all of life actually.
I've enjoyed your recent poems. I'll have another internet posting soon. I don't know if you'll like it much though. It's pretty political, but then, these are pretty political times.
Good neighbors indeed! I once toppled down the entryway to my high school while on crutches and had to resort to a wheel chair. My classmates were very helpful, more than once pushing me a high speed down the auditorium ramp (when I needed to get to the second floor). Fortunately it was for only a week or so, and it wasn't a motorized/electrified beast. We, most of us, have no idea what a handicap might be like. Thanks for enlightening us.
Ron, having read your autobiography, 'Hanging by a Thread,' I recall a "few" of your harrowing experiences. Then, as recently, you keep a cool head and prevail. As well, Good Samaritans have come to your aid when you've needed them most. May you be spared further experiences of this nature.
What an experience! Seemed like it wasn't going to end. In fact, it was very similar to being hopelessly stranded in a nightmare of sorts. I'm so sorry you had to go through all this, and I certainly hope you don't meet with similar obstacles anytime soon. But if you do, I'm sure help will be there for you just as it was with this situation. Most people are still basically good and willing to lend a helping hand.
Yes, good neighbors are the best. I could feel your frustration as I read this. When situations are beyond or control and our movability is threatened, it is indeed scary. I understand too, about the rain. My hearing aids can't get wet, either.
You painted a vivid picture of where both the rain and the present operational problem stopped you totally. You put the reader by your side and carried us with you as your problem went through stages of getting resolved. Hooray, the ending set your world in its proper place again. Thanks for sharing this story. Elizabeth Towles
Ron I looked after my wheelchair bound grandfather until the day he died. He was 94 and had Alzheimer's. He was a late diagnose. Thank you for writing this.
As I read this I tried to imagine how I would have felt if I were in the same situation. I’m a person who really gets nervous if I am stuck somewhere and have no way out of it. Your story had a few good Samaritans to ease your problems. There are still a few left, thank goodness.
I read this with riveting interest. Having no experience with such things, it was an eye-opener to read through and experience your narrative. All's well that ends well, as they say, but I have no doubt that it must have been an unexpected and unwanted experience. John
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